Chapter 14 I take a hike down memory lane
Luke's POV
After I lost sight of them, I waited for ten minutes to pass. Rezoning that Annabeth and Percy would be far enough into the camp to not hear me, but not far enough not to have met anyone. I moved quickly, not knowing how long it would be till someone came for the bodies. First I checked to see if any of the ambushers were still alive, the chances of that were low. But I wasn't about to get attacked or rated out because I made a rookie mistake. As it turned out it's a good thing I checked. One guy was still alive, though unconscious for the time being. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it didn't look like he was too badly wounded. So I took off his spiked boots and socks, wadding up the socks I stuffed them in his mouth. To ensure the gag stayed in place, I cut a strip of his shirt tying it so he couldn't spit out the socks. Next I rolled him over and bound his hands together with his belt. After all that was done, I located where they had dropped their bags. Grabbing one I began to move between the bodies. Searching each one's pockets, I dropped whatever I found in the bag to go through later. Thrusting the unconscious boy's weapon in my belt, I gathered the rest of the bags rolling them down the hill opposite Camp. Knowing I probably didn't have much time left, I herded back for my prisoner. Hosting him onto my shoulder, I carried him over the hill. Apparently I had more time than I thought. It was at least half an hour before anyone came to collect the bodies, but that was to my advantage. I had taken that time to rummage through the bags, and compile anything I could use or that interested me into three bags. When I was sure the campers were done with their task, I put the boy on one shoulder and my tree bags on the other. With a quick glance at the stars to get my directions straight, I headed to my old hideout, an abandoned Strawberry farm about a half mile from here. I smiled momentarily at the Titan side's humble beginnings. Secret meetings and training at midnight. Stealing weapons, armor and food for my growing number of supporters. It wasn't long before we had outgrown the farm, in two years time it had gone from just me to a hundred Half-bloods and monsters. My smile faded, it had gone so well... until everything went so very wrong. I shuddered now thinking of the countless nights spent trying to stay awake. The dreaded meetings with my Lord and my personal slave master. The way he bent me to his will controlling me with false promises, and later threats of unspeakable things. I remembered well the day I finally broke. I had been so scared of what he wanted me to do. He had been pressuring and mentally torturing me for months. Finally I couldn't take it anymore, I ran. I ran to the only person I could think of, the only one who could possibly give me away out of the grave I dug for myself. The only one who hadn't given up on me, I ran to Annabeth. The day I broke, was the day I stood on her doorstep unarmed with a flag of truce. I remember being her to run away from it all with me, being her to let us forget everything that had happened. To save me from what Cronos had planned, but that's not what broke me, no that was the terror I had of the future talking. I broke when she turned me away, she didn't believe me, she had given up on me, and I knew I deserved nothing less. I challenged Annabeth to use the knife I gave her, saying she won't get another chance. I had hoped I could make her lash out and end my suffering, but she was level headed as always. Her words from that fateful day echoed in my head.
"Luke, I have no reason to believe a word you have said, because every time I think you might have changed or learned your lesson it's just another trick. I'm done letting my emotions get in the way, I will not be used as bait again. You wanted a war. I'm prepared to give you one. That being said I'm not going to kill you or anyone else for that matter in cold blood. I'm willing to fight and possibly die, but I'm not willing to fall to your level. Goodbye Luke."
I had left her house defended, terrified, and hopeless. How could I have failed her so epically? I now stood in the place where everything began, as I looked around at the old decrypted farm house. I realized that evening I had suffered and did, wasn't worth what I lost. Probably the only good thing that ever came from all of it, was Sarah. Had I never died and come back, trying to hide from the magical world, I never would have been working at a coffee shop in Kansas. Thinking about how arbitrary fate is, I rubbed my chin only to discover I needed to shave. Dropping the bags I tied my prisoner to an exposed stud in the wall, grabbing the bags I waited out of sight. One of my favorite mined games to play on captives was to first wait out of sight making them think they were alone. Then once I have a good idea of what reaction they'll give, come out while they're not paying attention. It served to shake them up, no matter what type of person they were. From the scared victim and stoic hero to the silent and defiant type. It was important to get inside the head of whoever you wanted information from. So I waited as the boy went through the routine of feigning sleep, checking surroundings, quietly struggling with his bonds and back to checking things out. To my interest he broke the routine by trying to yell some form of challenge through his gag. When nothing happened he yelled a few more times before going back to his struggles. That made me think he would play a mixed role of the hero and the defiant, or as I liked to call it...playing Jackson. Though, I believe in this situation he is closer to the victim at heart. After all he's a flower, who's leader led him into a massacre. He probably also believes that he's somewhere in the Camp. Armed with information he would never know he gave me. I stepped out of hiding having decided that a mix of bargaining and fear tactics would do the trick. Moving silently I stopped practically standing over the boy. His eyes were closed tite in concentration as he worked on his bonds. Upon giving up for the second time, he opened his eyes and blanched so hard he hit his head against the wall. Without saying a word I drew Backbiter and sliced the gag off without touching him. I aloud a crooked smile across my face at the terror on his.